Protection and Comfort
by HeroxPartnerfan96
Summary: It's no secret that Ash and May have their moments where they don't feel very strong, but they are always there for each other when they need it. A series of one-shots showing Ash and May giving comfort and support to each other. Advanceshipping, rated for safety and requests are welcome
1. His Angel, His Saviour

**Protection and Comfort**

**(This is first of quite a few collections I will be writing for Advanceshipping. Hope you enjoy this first collection. Requests are also welcome for ideas.)**

**Chapter 1: His Angel, His Saviour**

**Summary: **Despite everything they have made it through together, Ash fears that he won't always be able to protect May. He fears that one day she could be in danger and he won't be there in time to save her. When it becomes too much for him, May arrives to save him.

It was a bright sunny morning in Pallet Town and in the Ketchum house, May, now 16 years old, came downstairs to find Delia Ketchum at the kitchen. May was wearing her emerald green outfit consisting of an orange dress-like outfit with black short leggings and orange and white shoes with a black stripe complete with a green bandana with a white Pokeball symbol tied around her brown hair which hung down in two pig-tail like sections. Delia turned to see May and smiled.

"Morning, May." Delia said. May looked up at Delia showing a bright smile in response. "Good morning, Mrs Ketchum." she responded. Delia came and sat down at the table, to which May came over and made herself comfortable.

"Is Ash feeling all right today?" Delia asked. Ash Ketchum was Delia's 17 year old son and May's boyfriend. His aspiration was to be a Pokemon Master and he really enjoyed travelling as well while doing so. Upon the mention of Ash's name, May's smile faded and she looked down and shook her head.

"No. He's up in his room again. He's been like this for the past few days." May responded. Delia's smile was replaced with surprise and she came over to May so she could understand what May meant.

"I've been hearing him talking in his sleep every night for the last few nights, and he always looks like he's unable to sleep. I've wanted to ask him about it, but I worry that he won't respond." May explained. Delia had some thought to herself about it, and then she looked over at May.

"I think I'll go talk to Ash about it. Maybe he might be able to tell me." Delia said. May then showed a soft smile and nodded in agreement; that sounded like a good idea. With this, Delia started to head upstairs to Ash's room.

In his room, Ash was sitting at his desk looking out the window to see the Pidgey fly past. It had happened to him again; over the past few nights, he had been having nightmares. Though they had all been different, they had one thing in common; they all had to do with May. He could still remember the nightmare he had the previous night, and it was something he didn't want to remember...

_Ash found himself trapped in a dark void. As he looked around, all he could see around him was darkness, and nothing seemed familiar to him. "What is this place? Where am I?" Ash asked, as he looked around this unfamiliar area. Just then, he could suddenly hear a familiar voice ring through his ears._

"_Ash!" Ash suddenly gasped as he recognized who that voice belonged to; he could tell the source in an instant. "May! Is that you?" he asked as he started to look around, hoping to find her in the darkness._

"_Ash, help!" Ash could hear May's voice call out to him yet again, and he immediately realised that she was in danger._

"_May! I'm coming!" Ash responded, and he started to run even thought it felt like he was going nowhere in the never-ending darkness. But he wasn't going to let that stop him; he knew May was in danger, and he had to find her before he was too late. As he continued to look, he stopped short when he saw May in front of him._

"_May, are you all right?" he asked. May turned to notice Ash and a smile of relief crossed her face. She immediately ran over to him and threw her arms around him in a tight embrace._

"_Ash, it's you! I'm so glad you're here! I thought I'd never see you again!" May cried as she refused to let Ash go, almost as if she was afraid of losing him. Ash was almost at a loss of words, but he held May close seeing how afraid she was._

"_May, what's wrong? Was something after you?" Ash asked. Just then, a familiar shadowy figure appeared. He was completely pitch black, with a white top of his head and red around his neck, and his blue eyes shined in the darkness. "Darkrai! What are you doing here?" Ash asked, as he and May stared on at the shadowy figure._

"_I have come for May, of course. I have been hoping for the chance to see her, but I did not expect to see you too." Darkrai responded. Ash held May close, not wanting to lose her to Darkrai._

"_What do you want with May?" he asked. "Why would you need to know that? That sort of business does not involve you." Darkrai said._

"_That might be true, but I'm here to protect May. And I won't let someone like you have her! So I won't you get to her!" Ash retorted. He immediately started to run towards Darkrai, but Darkrai easily pushed him aside, sending Ash falling backwards and landing on his back. May gasped seeing Ash hurt, but then she noticed Darkrai coming towards her._

"_Well then, May, where were we?" Darkrai asked. He grabbed May and started to head off with her. Ash was shaking himself off when he looked up to see May leaving with Darkrai. "Ash, help!" May called. Ash started to get up, but he found himself somehow unable to move and he could only watch as Darkrai left with May._

"_May, no!" Ash cried, and everything started to go as black as the void he was trapped in..._

Ash then sighed as the terrifying memories of that nightmare flooded back in his head; he could remember the sinister appearance Darkrai made in that void of darkness and his hopelessness as May was taken away, with him unable to do anything to save her. He could suddenly hear the sound of footsteps and turned to see Delia come upstairs to see him.

"Mum?" Ash asked. "Hi, honey. I thought I'd come up to see you." Delia said. Ash then looked away continuing to look out of his bedroom window. Noticing his unusual silence, Delia came over and sat down next to Ash, to which he turned to see her.

"Have you been feeling all right, Ash? Has anything been wrong recently?" Delia asked. Ash was silent for a few seconds, before he slowly gave an answer. "No...I don't think so. Why's that?"

"Well, May told me that you haven't been able to sleep well for the past few nights. She said that you've been talking in your sleep, and I just wanted to see if you were all right." Delia explained. Ash nearly jumped at the mention of May's name; that was exactly what he least wanted to hear recently. The mention of May sent memories of his nightmares coming back to him, and he could suddenly feel tears build in his eyes threatening to let loose. He then brushed them away, and then looked up at Delia.

"Actually, Mum, I haven't been able to sleep well. I keep having these strange dreams, and they seem to do with May." Ash explained. Delia was nearly unable to say anything at the mention at that, but she figured that Ash would be able to tell her about what was happening if she just asked him about it.

"Really? What happens that involves May?" Delia asked. Ash nearly jumped at the mention of that; he knew exactly what happens in his nightmares. Almost every night they had occurred, he could see May in danger and him being unable to save her every time. But, he was still unable to understand what that meant, so he decided he shouldn't give any exact details until he understood what the nightmares meant.

"I'm not sure. I find myself unable to remember what happened when I wake up." Ash responded. He knew it was a lie, but he figured it was a good idea for the time being. Hearing this response, Delia nodded slowly in understanding.

"If you're able to remember what happened in at least one of those dreams, let me or May know. We want to do what we can to help you if anything happens to you. After all, you are my one and special son, and May loves you more than anything else. So, be sure to remember that, okay?" Delia asked. Ash then gave a smile, even though it felt forced to him, and nodded in agreement.

"I will. Thanks Mum." Ash responded. Delia smiled at this and she happily hugged Ash, while Ash hesitantly returned her embrace, and after a few seconds, Delia let go and headed downstairs closing Ash's bedroom door behind her. Once she was gone, Ash's smile faded and he looked back at the window hoping that he'd be able to work out why he was having these strange nightmares.

That night, Ash was comfortable in his bed, but he was tossing back and forth. He was having another nightmare, and this one was particularly worse than it was last night.

_Ash found himself in a forest and as he slowly looked around him, he could tell where he was almost straight away. "Hey, I know this. It's Viridian Forest. But what am I doing here?" Ash wondered, as he was looking around. Just then, he could suddenly hear a voice from nearby._

"_Ash!" Ash then turned as he could recognize that voice. "That's May! She must be in danger again. Don't worry, May! I'll be right there!" Ash called and he started to run to find May, hoping that he'd be able to save her this time. As he was running, he could hear her voice calling out to him again._

"_Ash, help!" Ash knew that was May, and he had to make sure not to let her down this time. "May, I'm coming!" Ash responded, hoping May could hear him. But then, he suddenly heard a loud roar above him and looked up to notice a giant grey dinosaur-like Pokemon with dark purple wings fly through the sky above his head. It was an Aerodactyl, and it had May in its grasp. Ash gasped, but somehow this made him more determined to save May._

"_Don't worry, May! I'm coming to save you!" Ash called. With this, he started to grab up a tree beside him and when he got to the top, he could see the Aerodactyl coming towards him. Without a second thought, he immediately jumped and grabbed hold of the Aerodactyl's leg, where he could see May being held tight. As soon as May saw Ash, she started to smile._

"_Ash!" she exclaimed, extremely happy to see him. "Don't worry, May. I'm here. I'm going to get you down." Ash said, doing his best to reassure May. He then started pulling at Aerodactyl's claw hoping to get May loose. Aerodactyl looked down to notice Ash and started to shake its legs violently in an attempt to get Ash to let go._

"_Ash, be careful!" May warned. Ash nodded in agreement, but then he realised that his fingers were starting to slip from that violent shaking and then he fell loose of his grip of Aerodactyl's leg, causing him to plummet down to the forest while May watched on in horror._

"_Ash!" May cried as she watched Ash plummet, and all Ash could do was watch as Aerodactyl flew away with May..._

Ash then sat up in terror and struggled to catch his breath as he looked around to find himself back in his room. He then sighed in relief, knowing that May was still asleep in the other room. As he climbed out of his bed and looked out the window again, everything started to fall into place in his head. The nightmares he was having were a result of his own personal fear; he was afraid that he might not always be to protect May, that there would be a day that he might not be able to save May and he could possibly never see her again.

'What if those fears are true? What if I'm really not able to save May, that I might not come through for her when she needs me most?' Ash thought, as tears started to build in his eyes. He then immediately closed his eyes, as his tears threatened to leave them. After a few seconds, he then headed out of his room, slowly closing the door behind him, and started to rush out of the house. As he was running, his cap shielded his eyes as he left tears flowing out of them. He didn't know what to do, and he had no idea of what to do about it.

Back at the house, May was peacefully asleep in her room. But then she got up to look out the window and she could see Ash running from the house. "Where's Ash going?" May asked herself. She then started to head out, hoping to find out for herself.

Ash then stopped when he came to the cliff overlooking the river; this was the place where his adventure fully started, back when he was being chased by the Spearow. He sat down on the edge and looked up at the night sky; the stars could be visibly seen and the moon was full. He then looked down as he started to think about his nightmares, and what had happened in each of them.

"In every nightmare, I see May in danger and I can't do anything to save her. What if that becomes a reality? That could be a living nightmare for me, because I won't be able to do anything." Ash said. He then buried his face in his arms and started sobbing quietly. Nearby, May had come out looking for Ash.

"Ash? Ash, where did you go?" May asked. Just then, she could hear quiet sobbing from nearby. "That must be Ash." May said to herself. Sure enough as she got close, she could see Ash sitting at the edge of the cliff and he was quietly sobbing. As she came closer, Ash looked up to see her and he had tears visible in his eyes.

"May?" Ash asked, his voice visibly showing his sadness. "Ash, there you are. I was wondering where you had gone off to." May said, as she came over to sit down next to Ash. Ash then looked away from her, which she was surprised to see; it wasn't like Ash to not avert his attention. She then looked up at the night sky and smiled.

"Wow, the night sky always looks beautiful, doesn't it?" May asked. She then looked over at Ash and noticed that there wasn't a response from him, causing her smile to fade. "Ash, what's wrong? You've been acting like this for the past few days. You've been keeping yourself hidden in your room, and you rarely talk to me now. Why is that?" May asked. Ash looked at May as he listened to this; he had to admit that she sounded like his mother right now, but he decided not to mention that to her. He could see what his distance was doing to her; she was wondering why he was feeling this way and not giving her his full attention, and he hadn't told her why. With this, he sighed and looked over at May.

"May...over the past few days, I've been having nightmares. In every one of them, I see you in some form of danger. And no matter what I do, I can't save you. So...now I'm afraid that I might not be able to do the same thing in reality. I'm scared that you could be in danger, and I won't be able to save you." Ash explained. May gasped silently at the sound of this; she didn't have any idea that Ash feared something like this. She always knew that he was able to save her in the past, but she never suspected that he was afraid that he might not be able to do it.

"Ash, I'm sure you'll be able to. You've been able to do it before." May explained softly. "But what if I can't?!" Ash yelled immediately. May nearly jumped at Ash's emotional outburst, but she decided not to say anything for the time being.

"Don't you understand, May?! What if I'm not able to do it?! What if I let you down when you need me most, and I could never see you again?!" Ash yelled. He sounded more desperate than angry, but he didn't seem to notice. Tears visibly streamed down his cheeks, and he didn't plan on stopping until he let everything he was feeling out.

"Think about it, May. What if I can't save you? I might not be there when you need me, and you could be gone from me forever! What would I do then?!" Ash cried. May remained wordless as she listened to this, but she decided to let Ash finish before she said anything.

"I don't know what I'd do. I don't know how I'd be able to do it, because I'd always feel like it was my fault. I'd feel like I could have done something, but I didn't do it! I don't know what to do, May. I just don't know..." Ash closed his eyes and started sobbing, unable to hold in his emotions any longer. He had never felt this helpless before, but now he felt like there was nothing he could do. He had never felt this desperate and this hopeless for a long time, but now for the first time he didn't have any idea of what to do.

May could feel tears build in her eyes as she listened to Ash's emotional breakdown; she had no idea that Ash actually felt like this. Now she was seeing him at his most vulnerable moment, and she had to do something to help him. But she was afraid he couldn't be convinced, that he'd think he couldn't be helped. After a few seconds, she looked down. "Ash...you're right."

Ash looked up at May, hearing this simple response. "W-what?" May then looked over at Ash.

"You won't always be able to protect me, and there could be a day where your fears might happen." May responded. Ash then looked away; that didn't help matters at all. But then, May gently place her hand on his shoulder, and he looked up at her.

"But, you don't need to worry. It won't happen anytime soon; that's one thing I know for sure." May said. "How do you know that?" Ash asked.

"Because I won't let it happen. Ash, you should know that I'll be able to protect myself when you can't. I'll always be safe, and you'll always be able to save me, no matter what happens." May explained.

Ash could feel tears in his eyes again, but this time they were out of immense happiness. He found himself unable to say anything, but after a few seconds, he threw himself into May's arms and started sobbing yet again. He had never felt so relieved, and that was because May was here with him.

"May, I'm so sorry. I've been such an awful boyfriend to you..." Ash sobbed. May then started to smile as she listened to Ash, and she held him close.

"Ash, everything will be all right. You've just been having emotional distress. But it's okay; I'll always be here." May said, as she tightened her embrace around Ash. Like Ash was always there to save her, May was now here to save him. She was his angel and saviour.


	2. Never the End

**Protection and Comfort**

**(This is inspired by an Advanceshipping story video and is set during Home is where the Start is. And no, this is not a spoiler for the Advanceshipping Saga; the version seen in that will be different from this one.)**

**Chapter 2: Never the End**

**Summary: **It's time for May and Max to head back to Hoenn, however May is upset by this and runs off. Realising the cause of May's sadness, Ash heads off to find her and let her know that goodbye is never the end.

The group stood at the port looking at the ferry; Ash, May, Max and Brock were at the spot where they knew that their paths would split. May and Max were heading back to Hoenn, while Ash and Brock were going back to their hometowns of Pallet Town and Pewter City.

"There it is, sis. In a few minutes, we'll be on our way home. I can't wait. When we get home, I'm going to ask Dad to teach me everything he knows, and then I can become a Pokemon Trainer just like Alf." Max commented with a bright smile while May looked down at her younger brother. Ash then start to glare in irritation at Max for the name, causing Ash's little partner who was on his shoulder, Pikachu, to look over at Ash.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Max? It's Ash, not Alf!" Ash retorted. Max then looked back at Ash, and crossed his arms with a cheeky smile. "I know. I just like calling you that." Max responded. Ash then looked down and sighed in annoyance; he never liked how that name sounded, and he could remember Max calling him that when they met.

May showed a small smile as she listened to this, but then her smile faded as she looked back at the ferry they were going to board; she knew it would leave in a few minutes, with her and Max on board. And she didn't have any idea why she wasn't happy about going home. She was looking forward to being able to pursue her own dreams; while travelling with Ash and Brock, she had made up her mind about what she was going to do, and she happily told them about it a little earlier while they were having dinner.

But now that they were here, something was making it harder for her. She wasn't sure why, but something was causing her to feel this way and make her feel she didn't want to leave. Her thoughts were interrupted when she could hear Ash's voice behind her. "May?" Snapping out of it, May turned around to see Ash smiling at her.

"Yeah, Ash?" May asked, showing a soft smile in response to his. Ash walked over to her and held out his hand, causing her to look down at it. She then looked back up at Ash to see his bright smile and the familiar brown tint in his eyes; it was rarely visible except on certain occasions, but May always seemed to see it a lot.

"It's been a great experience travelling with you. I hope you have a great time in Johto, and you keep doing what you enjoy." Ash said. May's smile faded and then she started to look down; she wasn't sure why, but she felt like Ash was the one who was making it hard for her. He was always so supportive of her and always caring, putting his own life at risk for her. He had been there for her when she was down or upset, and they had spent a lot of time together. May wasn't sure how or when, but she knew...she had grown feelings for Ash, and that was what was causing her to feel sad about leaving. Noticing there wasn't a response, Ash's smile started to fade and he lowered his hand.

"May, are you all right?" he asked. That seemed to do it for May, as she could feel tears slowly start to build up in her eyes. The more time Ash was with her during this, the more she was feeling it become harder to leave. It didn't help matters for her, and it was making her feel worse by the minute.

"Ash, I'm sorry..." May whispered, and then she turned around and started to run from the port to the forest. Ash watched on, reaching one hand out as he watched May run. "Wait, May. What's wrong?" Ash asked, but there wasn't a response as May was too far to hear him. After she was gone, Ash slowly lowered his hand and stared ahead wondering what had happened.

"What was that about?" he asked. Pikachu tilted his head, wondering what had happened as well. "I think May's upset about leaving." Ash turned to see Brock standing beside him; he had apparently seen this as well.

"May really had a great time with all of us, but I think she's finding it hard to watch us leave. Especially since she remembers all the things we did together, I think she's afraid that she won't see us again." Brock explained. Ash was listening to this, and then he looked down feeling upset with himself. This was the second time that he didn't understand how someone was feeling about separating, but he didn't want to make the same mistake that he did last time. He wanted May to know that separating wasn't the end and that they'd be able to see each other again no matter how long they were away from each other.

"Wait here with Max, Brock. I'm going to go find May." Ash said. Pikachu nodded in agreement; they had to hurry. Brock started to smile and nodded.

"That's a good idea, Ash." Brock said. Ash then looked down at Max and smiled. "Max, I hope we get to see each other again. And I'll be looking forward to our battle when you become a Trainer." Ash said.

Max smiled and nodded. "I'm looking forward to that too. For now, I think you should hurry and find my sister." Ash nodded in agreement, and started to rush off away from the port to the forest to find May.

"May? May, where did you go? May?" Ash asked, as he looked around the forest; he was hoping May didn't run off too far, otherwise it would be tough for him to find her. As he was looking around, he could suddenly a sad sigh from nearby. 'That must be May.' Ash thought. He headed off to have a closer look, and poked his head out from a bush to see May sitting against a tree. She held her legs against her chest, and Ash started to smile from relief that he found her. But then, May looked up to see him staring at her.

"Hi, Ash." May said; her voice was quiet, but Ash was still able to hear it. He then came over and sat down next to May, causing her to slowly avert her gaze away from him. There was silence between the two for a few seconds before May spoke up. "Sorry about running away earlier." she said. Ash then gave a soft smile and looked over at May.

"It's not your fault, May. You're feeling sad about leaving, aren't you?" Ash asked. May looked over at Ash and nodded slowly in agreement. "Yes, that's right. I don't feel like I want to say goodbye." May responded.

"But, you're looking forward to going to Johto and doing what you want to, right?" Ash asked. May slowly averted her eyes up to Ash to see that he was looking at her in concern; she knew he didn't want to see her so upset, but she couldn't help herself right now.

"Yeah, but..." May was silent for a few moments to think before she looked back up at Ash. "Ash, meeting you was one of the best experiences of my life. I would have never thought about doing anything I had done if that hadn't happened. Because I met you, I was able to have the courage to do a lot of things I wouldn't have ever thought about. You were always supporting me and you were by my side on every step, and I don't think I know many people who are like you. You're so caring and kind, and you always think of the best of others and put yourself at risk for others. I've always been happy to have met you and spent time with you and..." May closed her eyes and tears started to stream down her cheeks. "That's why I don't want to say goodbye! I don't want to lose everything you've done for me, and I don't think I'll feel the same without you!" May then finished, and she buried her face in her arms as she started sobbing quietly.

Ash could feel tears build in his eyes as he had been listening to May; he never expected that this was why she didn't want to leave. It was because of him. He was the reason why she was feeling like this, and the thought of him leaving seemed to tear her in half. Ash felt the same way, having just realized that May had feelings for him, like he did for her. Ash couldn't remember when he started feeling this way for May, but it seemed to be because of everything about her. She was always such a kind girl, and she always did her best to support her friends and others. She was also always determined to do her best, and it reminded him a lot of himself. He then started to smile, having an idea of what to say, and looked over at May gently placing one of his hands on her shoulder and causing her to look up at him.

"May, this won't be the last time we'll see each other, you know." Ash said. May brushed her tears away and decided to have a listen to what Ash was saying. "Yeah, that's true. You never really know what will happen after you and Max head back to Hoenn. Though we might separate now, we'll see each other again soon. You never know, our journeys might cross and then we'll be able to do more things together. No matter what happens, we'll always remember each other no matter how far we are from each other." Ash explained.

May was listening to this, and she stared at Ash in surprise. She had to say, he was certainly right about a lot of things, but she didn't expect him of all people to say something like that. But that started to help her feel better about leaving; she just needed to be certain on whether he was telling the truth. "Really, Ash? You're sure about all of this?" she asked. Ash looked over at May with a bright smile and nodded.

"It's the truth, May. I never plan on breaking my promises, especially this one." Ash responded, and drew an x with his finger across his chest where his heart would be. May smiled and nodded, knowing Ash wasn't lying. "Thanks, Ash." she responded, and gave Ash a tight hug. Ash was at a loss of words for a few seconds, but then he smiled and hugged May back; he was glad to see that she was feeling better.

"You ready to head back to the port now?" Ash asked. May nodded and the two stood up and started to head off to the port. While they were walking together, May looked down and she slowly trailed her hand over to Ash's and held it. Ash noticed and looked over at May to see her smiling, and he couldn't help but smile back. If there was a chance for them to do one more thing together, this was certainly it.

The two didn't take long to arrive back at the port, where Brock and Max were waiting for them and the two smiled to see Ash and May had arrived back. "Hey, there you are. How did things go?" Brock asked.

"I'm feeling all right now." May responded, and she and Ash brightly smiled at each other. "That's great, because we've got to leave in a few minutes. Come on, let's get on board so we're ready." Max said, and started to head on board the ship. Ash then turned to May and the two looked at each other in the eyes.

"Do things feel as hard for you now, May?" he asked. May shook her head, and she had a smile on her face to match. "Thanks a lot, Ash. I wouldn't have thought of coming back if you didn't come to see me." May said.

"Well, you would have missed your ship and we wouldn't want that to happen, right?" Ash asked. The two then started happily laughing at that, but then they calmed down and continued to smile at each other. "But really, May, you're welcome. It's just what I do best." Ash said, and then he happily winked at May. May's smile grew brighter, but then the two could suddenly hear the ship's horn; that was the indicator that May had to get on board.

"You better hurry on board, May, or you'll miss it." Ash said. May nodded in agreement; she did need to hurry. "I'd just like to thank you for everything before I go." May responded. With this, she leaned forward and kissed Ash. Pikachu started to smile, thrilled while Brock stumbled back in shock.

"This isn't fair. How does Ash have a girlfriend before I do?" Brock asked. After May let go, Ash was at a loss of words but then he started to smile. May then started on board the ship where Max was waiting for her.

"Wow, sis. I didn't think you were ever going to do that." Max commented. "It's always worth the wait, you know." May said with a bright smile. She and Max then rushed to the balcony as the ship started to leave the port, where they could see Ash and Brock waving goodbye, and they started to wave as well.

"See you, guys! I hope we see you again soon!" Max called. "Yeah, same here!" Brock said. May then looked to see Ash and she started to wave to him, while he could still see her.

"Ash! Thank you for everything! I hope we can see each other again soon!" May smiled. "We will, May! I promise!" Ash agreed. Soon, the ship was out of sight, but Ash still resumed a bright smile knowing that he'd see May again, no matter when that would be.

"When we see each other again, May, I'll have something I'd like to say to you, and I know you'll be really happy to hear it. May, what I want to say to you is...I love you." Ash said. He would remember to tell May that when he saw her again; he could already imagine what she would say when he let her know of that.


	3. Matter of Strength

**Protection and Comfort**

**(This is set during the episode, Uncrushing Defeat. I always hated the battle due to Paul demolishing Ash and leaving him in this state. So this is set not too long after that, and Ash's Pokemon are in intensive care. Consider this an AU to the episode of sorts) **

**Chapter 3: Matter of Strength**

**Summary: **After the harsh six-on-six battle with Paul, Ash is starting to question his capabilities as a Trainer. However, a talk with a special person gets him through this hard situation and helps him see that he is always strong, no matter what happens.

Ash sat on one of the seats that were in the Pokemon Centre alone; he needed to be by himself for the time being. He had his arms against his lap, and his hat was shielding his eyes but it was evident that there were tears streaming down his cheeks. He honestly couldn't believe that this had happened: he and his entire team were beaten by Paul in a full six-on-six battle.

'I don't understand. How were we beaten so easily with little effort? It just seemed like Paul was always one step ahead of me, no matter what I did. Now that this has happened, he's made me look like I'm the one who's the novice.' Ash thought. He assumed that Dawn and Brock had gone to check how his Pokemon were doing; they were all in intensive since they received brutal injuries during the battle.

'Is Paul right? Am I really not as strong as I thought I was?' Ash asked himself. He didn't want to believe that claim; he never assumed that it was true. But now he wasn't sure what to think, and he couldn't decide on whether he was right or not. He was finding it not very easy to decide on whether that claim was true or not, and now he was starting to doubt even himself.

'I think I need someone to talk to. But who?' Ash wondered. He knew that his mum was out of the question; he could remember how happy she was when he told her about his victory at the Snowpoint Gym, so he wasn't sure of what she would say if he told her about his situation. He didn't feel like talking to Dawn or Brock for the time being, so they were off his options list too and so were Professor Oak or anyone else he knew. Ash wasn't sure of whom else he could go to, but then one familiar name hit him.

'Of course! How come I didn't think of her before? She might know what to do.' Ash thought. He then got up from the seat and headed over to one of the phones that were in the centre, dialling in the number of who he was looking for and sat down on the seat of the booth to wait for a response. There was silence and Ash started to become a bit concerned.

'She might be busy and not able to answer. I don't know for sure, but this was worth a shot.' Ash said to himself as he sat waiting for an answer. After a few seconds, the screen turned on showing her face: it was none other than May. Only her face could be visible, probably because she was sitting at a Pokemon Centre somewhere in Johto, but Ash could see her green bandana tied around her brown hair, and her blue eyes could easily be seen. May took a few moments to see who she was talking to, and then a bright smile crossed her face.

"Ash, it's great to see you! I've been waiting to talk to you again!" May smiled. Ash then looked up, his eyes with the familiar brown tint visible, and he gave a soft smile seeing May on the screen. He felt really happy that she was able to answer; he needed to talk to her.

"Yeah, it's good to see you too, May." Ash responded. The two had gotten together when May came to Sinnoh for the Wallace Cup, and Ash told May his feelings for her before she left. Since then, the two had been sure to talk each other as often as possible; it was what they were right with until they could see each other again after they had finished their different goals.

"So, Ash, how have things been going? Have you been able to win any more badges?" May asked. Ash was nearly caught by surprise, since he didn't expect May to ask that since he wanted to talk to her about his situation, but he figured that he should show her so she could see how much progress he was making.

"Yeah, I have, May. Have a look." Ash said, and showed May his badge case with the seven badges he had won so far. May then brightly smiled as she looked at the badges.

"That's great, Ash! You just need one more to enter the League, right?" May asked. Ash nodded in agreement, and then May started to cheer from excitement. "I'll make sure to be cheering for you when you arrive at the Sinnoh League!" she smiled. Ash nodded, but then his smile and he started to look down causing May to look at him in concern.

"Ash, is something wrong?" May asked. Ash then looked up at her and sighed; he knew it wasn't going to be easy to explain to May his situation, but he did need someone to talk to and she was the right person he thought of.

"May, I need to talk to you about something that's happened recently." Ash responded. May's expression turned into surprise and she seemed to lean forward to have a closer listen. "What is it?" she asked. Ash remained silent, knowing that this wasn't going to be easy for him, but then he looked back up at May knowing that she wanted to hear what the problem was.

"Just recently, me, Dawn and Brock came across Paul. We agreed to have a full six-on-six battle using our teams so far." Ash explained. "Paul? Who's that?" May asked, hearing the mention of Paul. Ash was a bit confused, but then he figured that May wouldn't know him.

"Oh, I haven't told you about Paul yet. He's one of my rivals here in Sinnoh. He only cares about using strong Pokemon and won't give others a chance, and I don't think he looks after his Pokemon very well." Ash explained. May nearly jumped at this explanation; that didn't sound very good if that was true, but knowing Ash, he didn't seem like he'd lie to her anytime soon.

"I wouldn't want to meet him if that's true. But what were you saying about you and him having a six-on-six battle?" May asked. Ash knew that was going to be the hard part; he knew that May was going to be too happy to hear this, but he had to get it out.

"We had a six-on-six battle and...he beat my entire team without any effort. They're all in intensive care because their injuries are really bad, so they're not doing very good at the moment, and neither am I." Ash explained. May gasped silently at that; it didn't sound very good since Ash was the one saying it. "Really? That's terrible, Ash. It sounds like he's really strong." May said.

"Yeah, and that's what I'm not feeling good about. Before Paul left, he told me that I'm not as strong as I think I am. And I'm starting to worry that...he might be right." Ash responded, and then he started to lower his head as he remembered what happened that evening before Paul left. May then started to look at Ash, puzzled; it didn't sound like these were his words.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Ash then looked up at May, but his expression had become saddened and it was clear that he was still upset about what had happened.

"Well, in almost every battle that we've had so far, Paul's beaten me every time. And now that this has happened, it's making me look like I'm the novice while he's the one who is always one step ahead of me, when that shouldn't be the case. I'm feeling like I've let my whole team down when they were all counting on me during that battle, and because of him, I don't think I'm as strong as I thought I was." Ash explained. May remained silent as she wasn't sure of what to say about this, but before she could say anything, Ash interrupted her. "Is he right, May? Am I really not that strong? Have I really been that easy to defeat?" Ash asked, as tears started to build in his eyes. May started to frown as she listened to this; this didn't sound like the Ash she knew, let alone the one who was not afraid to take on anyone.

"Ash Ketchum, are you even listening to yourself?" May asked, her voice starting to become stronger and, unbelievably, harsher. Ash nearly jumped hearing May's tone of voice; it was very rare for May to get upset, but when she was, she became a force to be reckoned with and no one would stop her.

"I would expect someone like him to say things like that, but never would I hear it from you. Ash, you're never weak, no matter what anyone thinks and I wouldn't expect you to even think that of yourself, either! It doesn't sound like you to be saying that, nor will it ever sound like you. You're the one who's not afraid to take on any challenge. You're the one who will do anything to win the battles and say that you managed to succeed. You're the one who never gives up, no matter what! So you should never say anything like that about yourself, or your capabilities as a Trainer!" May retorted. Ash found himself completely wordless of May's lecture, but he had to say that he was impressed. He then started to look down knowing that May wouldn't want to say anything else to him after hearing his doubt, but then a small smile started to cross her face replacing the frown she had earlier.

"Ash, you should know that better than anyone else. You'd never let any of your team down, no matter what happens in your battle. Like you count on everyone, they're all counting on you to help them. So, don't let them down at a time like this; they all need you." May explained. Ash then looked up at May, and he started to show a small smile in return.

"Yeah, you're right, I'm sorry, May. I don't even know what I was thinking saying something like that; it really doesn't sound like me at all." Ash responded. May's smile grew brighter when she heard that comment; it was starting to sound more like Ash that she knew.

"You're probably just letting the loss get to you; that happens to everyone. But don't worry; you'll be able to defeat him soon. I'm not sure when, but I'm sure you will." May said. Ash nodded, knowing May was right; in fact, she had been right about everything so far. He couldn't let everyone down because of this, otherwise he wasn't going to make himself look like the good Trainer he really was.

"That's true. Thanks for everything, May. I really needed this talk." Ash said, his smile having gone as bright as it usually was. May smiled and nodded, seeing that Ash had snapped out of it.

"You're welcome, Ash. If anything else happens, be sure to let me know." May said. Ash nodded in agreement, and with this the two hung up. Ash was feeling a lot better than he was earlier, and the talk he just had with May was certainly a huge contributor to that.


	4. Beyond the Rules

**Protection and Comfort**

**Chapter 4: Beyond the Rules**

**Summary: **Ash and May don't understand the fans' thoughts: to the fans, it seems like Ash and May could never match up and only belong to Misty and Drew, respectively. However, Ash knows that this isn't true and that the rules of the fans can never hold them back.

One morning in Pallet Town at Ash's house, Ash had just gotten up and looked out the window to find that several people had crowded around the house. Ash stared puzzled, wondering what exactly all those people were doing here, but then he turned around to see May come inside to see him.

"Morning, Ash." May smiled, but then she noticed all the people outside and came over to have a look as well. "How come all these people are here?" May asked, as she looked over at Ash.

"I'm not sure. They weren't here last night, and now it just seems like they showed up out of nowhere. I'm think I'm going to go see what's going on." Ash said, and headed downstairs where his mum, Delia, was. When Delia turned to see Ash, she brightly smiled.

"Good morning, Ash! Did you sleep well last night?" Delia asked. "Yeah, I did. But I had a look outside and saw that all of these people were surrounding the house from outside. They weren't here last night, and they've just arrived." Ash explained. Delia was having some thought about that, but then she and Ash could hear some voices from outside.

"Is that who I think it is?" One person asked. "It has to be! It's Ash!" Another person responded. The rest suddenly started squealing from excitement, while Ash and Delia stared at the door and May had just come downstairs to hear what was happening outside.

"I think there are a few people who would like to see you, Ash. Why don't you go meet them?" Delia suggested, looking down at Ash. Ash remained silent for a few seconds, but then he went to answer the door and found that several people had crowded around the door, almost as if they had been waiting for someone they wanted to see. Ash took a few moments to have a look around; there were certainly a lot of people there.

"Can I help you?" Ash asked. Almost as if he had prompted a stampede, everyone started screaming from excitement and it almost caused Ash to fall over from fright. But he was able to keep himself under control, and stared at the crowd in silence.

"I knew it was him! I told you all we were in the same place!" One person smiled. "I can't believe it's him!" Another person called out. As Ash had a closer look, he could see that almost all of the people in the crowd were girls. He figured as much, since he was aware that girls could often get extremely excited about most things, but he didn't expect to see something like this.

"W-who are all of you?" he asked. The girls immediately gasped, seemingly shocked that Ash had no idea of who they were. "We're your fans, of course! You won't believe how excited we are to finally meet you." One of the girls at the front responded.

"Fans? I didn't realise I had fans." Ash commented. "Of course you do, silly. We've been cheering on you every step of your journeys, and we've seen every official tournament you've been. I guess you can call us your cheerleaders as well as your fans." The girl at the front explained. Ash nearly stepped back; he could understand having support, but this just seemed to be going a bit too far to him. May then came over to him since she had been watching this on.

"Ash, what's going on?" she asked. "These girls say that they're my fans. Apparently, they've been cheering me on wherever I was." Ash explained. The two then looked back at the group to notice that they had stopped as soon as they saw May; it was almost as if they had never seen her before.

"Who's this girl?" One of the girls near the back asked. Ash then smiled; he had looking for the chance for other people to meet May. "I'd like you to meet May, everyone. She's an experienced Pokemon Coordinator and my girlfriend." Ash responded. May brightly smiled and she happily wrapped her arms around Ash in a tight embrace. Ash smiled and returned May's embrace, but then the two looked back at the group to find that they were almost completely wordless.

"This girl...is your girlfriend? No way! What about Misty? Don't you like her?" The girl at the front asked. Ash knew that he was going to get in trouble soon; it seemed like these girls had a different view on who was right for him.

"Actually, Misty only really liked me, but I never returned her feelings. I guess that's because I was young back then and had no idea of what love was." Ash explained. There was silence for a few moments and, assuming that things would be under control, Ash closed the door.

"What was that?" May asked. "I'm not sure. I guess those girls thought that me and Misty ended up together. Am I glad that didn't turn out to be true, because I don't think it would have lasted very long." Ash responded. He probably should have watched what he said, because he and May could suddenly hear the girls screaming from outside.

"That can't be right! You hate that girl! You and Misty belong together!" The two could hear one of the girls yell out from outside; it sounded like they were getting a bit out of hand after hearing that. Ash had heard about people like this; they were always the sort who stuck by their beliefs and wouldn't accept reality. They were the sort who tried to convince others that their views were right and wouldn't accept any other opinion. But this bunch was the worst; this bunch were the ones who wanted to see their ideal match-up and were heavily opposed to one person in their match-up ending up with anyone else.

"That's right! May belongs with Drew, not Misty's man!" Another person called out. Ash and May both looked at each other in worry; they knew that they were going to be attacked for this.

"We need to go, May! We need to get away from those girls and get them to leave us alone." Ash said. May nodded in agreement and the two started to rush upstairs while Delia watched on, wondering what was going on.

Ash and May rushed upstairs to Ash's room, and then Ash opened the bedroom window so the two could get out from there. "Come on, let's go!" Ash said. The two jumped out the window and landed on the ground safely. But then they realised that their landing space was pretty poor, since they noticed that the fans were there and they turned around to notice the two.

"There they are. After them!" One of the girls called, and the group started to run towards Ash and May. Noticing the trouble they were in, Ash and May quickly started to make a run for it. As the two were rushing off, they looked back to see that the group were chasing them down intent on separating them.

"What is wrong with those girls?" May asked. "I don't have any idea. But we need to find somewhere to hide." Ash responded. He then smiled when he saw a tree just ahead and when they got close, Ash immediately grabbed hold of the tree and started to climb up, with May quickly following him soon after. The two then watched as the fans stopped their pursuit, not being able to find them anywhere.

"They're gone!" One of the girls said, as they were looking around. "They won't be able to hide for long. When we find them, we'll be able to get them back to their proper loves. Those two could never match." Another one of the girls responded. Ash and May could hear their conversation from their hiding place, and they started to become worried.

"Those girls are really serious. It really sounds like they can't even stand the thought of seeing us together. But, why is it that they think I should be with Drew and you belong with Misty?" May asked. Ash had some thought about it for a few seconds, and then something suddenly clicked in his head.

"I think I know why." Ash said. May looked over at Ash, wondering what the problem was. "The reason they think this way is because they notice the roses Drew gives you, and that's a clear sign to them that Drew has feelings for you. Since they also noticed the few indicators on your side, that must mean to them that you and Drew should be together and I'm the one thing that's getting in the way." Ash explained.

"Well, I never really had feelings for you like I do for you, Ash. Drew's more obvious about his feelings for me, yes, but you make them more evident for me to see." May said. Ash brightly smiled at this comment; he had to agree that May was right about that. "What about their thought about you and Misty, though?" May asked.

"Their reasoning about me and Misty belonging together is that they notice the arguments we have and think of it as a way of hiding our feelings for each other. Since almost everyone beforehand could tell, that also means to them that me and Misty are meant to be." Ash explained. However, the two didn't realise that the group could hear their conversation until they looked down to see them crowded around the tree they were hiding in.

"There you are, you two! You come down here and tell us who you really belong to." One of the girls said, pointing up to Ash and May. "We already told you, May and I are both together. I never liked Misty, and all she did was yell at me. Drew only uses the roses as a cover-up for his mocking of May." Ash responded.

"Don't lie to yourself! We know that you like Misty, and her arguments are an indicator that she likes you. Drew only mocks May to tease her, and he clearly loves May. Misty would be at your throat if she found out that you were with her love, May." One of the girls near the front called.

"May and Misty never hated each other! True, Misty was a bit irritated when she found out that May and I had gotten together, but she never hated May. In fact, May and Misty are both close friends." Ash responded. He and May looked at each other and, deciding to handle things themselves, jumped down from the tree to face the group.

"You can't be serious. Misty would have torn May apart by now, and Drew would have been furious with you when he found out." One of the girls said. Just then, they could hear someone familiar approaching and turned to see that Misty had arrived, and she was glaring down at the group.

"Could one of you mind explaining to me what's going on?" Misty asked. Ash and May both started to smile, seeing that one of their friends was here. "Hi, Misty." Ash said. The group then started to smile, seeing that Misty was here.

"Misty, it's so great to see you're here! Now is your chance to save Ash from that girl." One of the girls said, and then pointed at May accusingly. Misty looked at Ash and May for a few moments, and then she looked back at the group.

"What are you talking about?" Misty asked. "Can't you see, Misty? She's stealing your boyfriend away. He belongs with you, not her. This is a good chance for you to save Ash and tell him the truth." The girl responded. A frown slowly appeared on Misty's face and then she stepped forward staring the group straight in the eyes.

"What is wrong with all of you?! Why can't you just leave Ash and May alone? I can think of people that don't approve of love like this at first, but all of you are just the worst example! Trying to tear a wonderful match like this apart?" Misty asked. The group were stunned, and so were Ash and May; it had been so long since Misty had ever lost her temper. The group remained silent for a few moments, and then they started to look down in dismay.

"We just want to what's best for Ash and May." One of the girls at the front said after a few moments of silence from everyone. Misty's frown then faded and a soft smile appeared on her face. "Well, maybe they're what's best for each other." Misty said. The group looked up at Misty after hearing that and then they turned around to see Ash and May step forward.

"Misty's right. There really isn't anything wrong with loving a certain match, but you also need to accept what happens in real life. May and I both really love each other, and we've both been that way for a while. Sure, we have had arguments sometimes and there are also times that we've never really gotten along well, but that doesn't mean we don't like each other. We just experience the regular things any couple goes through. Your fantasies can be a reality in your own world, but you shouldn't force your dreams to become real. Misty found someone that she didn't expect, and Drew will probably do the same thing. Because they love us, they were willing to let us find our own happiness, and we found it with each other." Ash explained, and he and May both smiled at each other. Misty watched the two on with a smile, and she nodded approvingly. The group were almost wordless, and they looked at Ash and May.

"Ash, May...we're really sorry for all the trouble we've caused you! We won't ever try to come between you two again!" Everyone in the group said in unison. Ash and May both smiled at this; there were people who wouldn't be too thrilled, but they were glad that there were people who understood that they were happy with each other.


End file.
